Development and Interrater Reliability of a Street Food Stand Assessment Tool

Objective: To design and test the interrater reliability of a Street Food Stand Assessment Tool (SFSAT). Design: Variables were adapted from validated assessment tools, field observations, and the Mexican Dietary Guidelines. Two researchers tested the SFSAT by observing street food stands (SFS) in 3 middle- to high-income neighborhoods. Setting: Mexico City. Participants: Fifty-two SFS. Variables Measured: The SFSAT contains 14 items for SFS characteristics and 44 items for food and beverages. Analysis: Percent agreement and kappa interrater reliability scores were calculated for each variable. Results: Almost perfect kappa interrater reliability scores (0.81-1.00) were reported for 62.7% of SFS characteristic items. Interrater reliability scores for food and beverage availability and variety ranged from 0.00-1.00, whereas the percent agreement for these items ranged from 59.6%-100.0%. Conclusions and Implications: The SFSAT is a reliable assessment tool to measure the availability and variety of street foods and beverages in Mexico City. Future research can update and adapt the SFSAT to the street food environment of other cities-in Mexico and abroad.